This thread is outdated
A lot of information in this thread is heavilly out of date.
If you have time, and have Staff permission, feel free to edit this thread and remove this statement once necessary.

Some information that needs to be addressed:

• SX OS and Atmosphere now supports proper LayeredFS, instructions for using it has changed since this tutorial was made
• Supported Firmware information is out of date
• LFSKit needs to be updated to properly support non 5.x.x firmware
• Compatability chart needs to be re-made

-PRAGMA

WARNING

• DO NOT GO ONLINE WHEN DOING THIS (YOU WILL BE BANNED)

How to use LayeredFS for Backup Loading

Firmware Supported: ONLY 5.x.x
Use the PRAGMA LFS Kit below.

PRAGMA's LFS Kit

DOWNLOAD
SOURCE

• Go from NOTHING in your SD Card to playing a game backup in a few clicks!
• Decrypt .XCI -> romfs/exefs folder with main.nmpd auto edited aswell as folder's name auto renamed to donor titleid
• Download NOTHING except LFSKit!

ENJOY!

Picking a Donor Title and getting Donor TitleIDRunning Game Backups!

1. 
   
   1. A donor title is the application we will run to open the backup.
      Pick a game you don't care about (Download a Demo or a free game from eShop, for example Octopath Demo)
      saves are something no one knows much about, we don't fully know where or how they are stored.
      They might overwrite the donor titles save, so seriously pick a game you DONT care about, not a game you rarely play.
      
      
   2. I also recommend picking a donor title/game combo that has been tested and reported working just so you know if YOU did something wrong or not.
   3. Find the TitleID of the donor title you chose from http://nswdb.com or http://switchbrew.org/index.php?title=Title_list/Games
      Region must be the same, choose the TitleID for the base-game NOT for the update title, even if your updated.
2. 
   
   1. Once again, boot into Hekate-IPL (Step 1).
   2. Enter "Launch firmware" and select "RomFS".
   3. Your now in your system's home menu.
   4. Open the Donor Title you set the TitleID of on that folder and .npmd file earlier.
   5. The game will load up flawlessly.
      If you opened the Title lets say, Fortnite, and Fortnite booted, the titleid of the folder in sd:/atmosphere/titles/{fortnitetitleid} doesnt exist, or doesnt start with 0100.
      If it gives you an error screen, either you didnt edit the main.npmd properly, or its an incompatible title/donor combo.
   To see which games work and which dont using which donor titles, look below.
   If you notice that you used a combination of Game and Donor title that isnt in the list below, post in the thread and I will add it. (look under to see what I need to add to chart).
   

Troubleshooting

• Black Screen/Infinitely Loading
  Leave it for around 5 minutes then press the home button and go back into the game without closing it. Often this can do the job.
• Freeze when Loading
  Close the game and try again, its a common occurence, you may have to try up to 4-5 times before getting it to work, sometimes you may even have to reboot between retries.

 

[Zumoly]

When I try to get the exefs folder through hactool, I get this:

Error: section 0 is corrupted!

Error: section 1 is corrupted!

Your keys or hactool version must be at fault.

BTW who managed to install games updates/DLC?

 

[Deleted member 454748]

Your keys or hactool version must be at fault.

BTW who managed to install games updates/DLC?

fixed it, thanks!

 

[Beware]

Is there a way to play .xci files over 4GB while using FAT32? exFAT has a lot of issues with RetroArch, so I'd prefer to stay on FAT32 if possible. Can we use split .xci files?

 

[Diavol0]

BTW who managed to install games updates/DLC?[/QUOTE]

No 1--
i'm trying to do that,but no luck so far ¬_¬
I have all the file decrypted but i dont'know how to merge the update with the original file(maybe we dont need to do this,it make more sense create a new folder/name it with the correct id and put in the atmosphere/title folder.....but i have already done this,nothing changed )
For Dlc-- i don't even know If Layeredfs have support for that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Zumoly]

No 1--
i'm trying to do that,but no luck so far ¬_¬
I have all the file decrypted but i dont'know how to merge the update with the original file(maybe we dont need to do this,it make more sense create a new folder/name it with the correct id and put in the atmosphere/title folder.....but i have already done this,nothing changed )
For Dlc-- i don't even know If Layeredfs have support for that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm thinking about the Nintendo folder on the SD card.
You know I downloaded some updates for the splatoon 2 game and they're stored in there.
So maybe if we put the updates, dlc inside the donor folder (+ the NCA folder of the layered game) that might work.
Please keep me posted when you succeed.

 

[Strongal]

Hello! I've been testing some games with no trouble at all. But no matter what I do, I cannot make BotW work on my switch :/

I updated to 4.1 files, and tried with both zelda and zelda (rev_1). I can't get past that damn black screen! Could anyone help me out? ^^

 

[szczuru]

Did you update fs_mitm?

Post #1689
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-...t-games-work-dont.507510/page-85#post-8103473

 

[Jaimy]

Is it possible to play with cartridge game (MK8 for eg) as donor? Also what happened to the compatibility list in the OP?

 

[Strongal]

Did you update fs_mitm?

Post #1689
https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-...t-games-work-dont.507510/page-85#post-8103473

I'm pretty sure I had. But after changing it, everytime I boot into RCM I get a error screen (2511-1623), asking me to press power to restart. Such a weird thing

 

[szczuru]

I'm pretty sure I had. But after changing it, everytime I boot into RCM I get a error screen (2511-1623), asking me to press power to restart. Such a weird thing

I've had the same issue. Just use Atmosphere Mod Plague:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/atmosphere-mod-plague-easy-layeredfs-app-switching-alpha.508123/

And update it from this post:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/atmosph...pp-switching-alpha.508123/page-3#post-8103558

Copy every backup to sd:\backups\gamename (eg sd:\backups\zelda\romfs.bin and exefs dir)
Run Modplague homebrew via HBMenu (warning - it's VERY laggy)
Hit A
Select donor (via up/down then hit A)
Select backup (via up/down then hit A)
Hit A again to go back to first screen
Hit home button to go back to Horizon
Run donor.

There's no need to mod main.npdm file - Mod plague do it automatically.

 

[ImCarlosGG]

BotW doesn't work with me with Fortnite as a donor, I get a blackscreen. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Strongal]

I've had the same issue. Just use Atmosphere Mod Plague:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/atmosphere-mod-plague-easy-layeredfs-app-switching-alpha.508123/

And update it from this post:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/atmosph...pp-switching-alpha.508123/page-3#post-8103558

Copy every backup to sd:\backups\gamename (eg sd:\backups\zelda\romfs.bin and exefs dir)
Run Modplague homebrew via HBMenu (warning - it's VERY laggy)
Hit A
Select donor (via up/down then hit A)
Select backup (via up/down then hit A)
Hit A again to go back to first screen
Hit home button to go back to Horizon
Run donor.

There's no need to mod main.npdm file - Mod plague do it automatically.

Thank you so much! It worked

I had my backups on sd:\atmosphere\donorID, would it stop working if I placed it back there?

BotW doesn't work with me with Fortnite as a donor, I get a blackscreen. Am I doing something wrong?

Just do what szczuru posted, it worked flawlessly to me ^^

 

[szczuru]

Thank you so much! It worked

I had my backups on sd:\atmosphere\donorID, would it stop working if I placed it back there?

I don't know I'm using this method since yesterday - one minus is that you can use one game at time - but if you want to play something else - just run Plague and select donor/backup -> back to Horizon and run donor.

 

[Leozairus]

A

At this point, there is absolutely no donor that could get Super Mario Odyssey or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to run.
* tries to invoke Cunningham's Law *

And afaik, I have yet to see someone play Mario Odyssey on SX OS, so there is no even a terrible alternative for somebody who really wants to play their backup.

for SX OS just need update the game and works fine...

 

[ImCarlosGG]

where do you put loader.kip and fs_mitm.kip?

 

[szczuru]

where do you put loader.kip and fs_mitm.kip?

sd:/modules/romfs/

 

[ImCarlosGG]

sd:/modules/romfs/

hmm, i still get a blackscreen, even with the plague mod

 

[szczuru]

Maybe try with diffrent donor?

 

[Strongal]

hmm, i still get a blackscreen, even with the plague mod

Try with fortnite, it worked for me

 

[ImCarlosGG]

Try with fortnite, it worked for me

that's the game i'm trying